TO think this is strange?

[Pigwee]

My BF of a year regularly refers to himself by nicknames that his ex gf used to call him? It makes me feel uncomfortable and since finding out I don’t use them myself. He broke up with this gf about 8 years ago and she is married now. He is 31.

How do you know they were her nicknames for him? If he's told you they are then that's weird. How long have you been together?

He told me that’s what she used to call him!!! I’ve been with him for a year.

Just trying to gage whether Im overreacting.

What sort of nicknames? Names like Babe, Love etc are very common and probably cross over into other relationships. They certainly have in my experience

YANBU How did you find out they were his ex gf's nicknames for him? I would find it uncomfortable that he refers to himself in the third person anyway, never mind names a girlfriend he split up with 8 years ago used to call him. I would have to say something to him. Did she have such a profound influence that he still uses these names to refer to himself?

Sorry cross posted - You have explained how you found out.

Sorry ( again!) I think you are going to have to give us an idea of how he refers to himself! Intrigued!

Maybe the nickname got popular amongst friends? Really depends on what it is.

"Curly" because he has curly hair or "Richie" for Richard? Fine.
"Mr Big" or "The bedmonster"? Nope😁

I've got one of those long names with dozens of diminutives (think Elizabeth, Isabella, Rebecca) The mum of my teenage boyfriend started calling me a diminutive I'd never considered and I really like it and it stuck. My husband knows her, so I will have mentioned it at some point. However, it is a name, not an endearment, had my boyfriend called me, um, precious or something not name related I wouldn't want others to carry it on!

Can you give an example?
So my ex used to call me strawberry (for example)

“Strawberry feels a bit hungry today. Strawberry wants to go swimming today”

Like this?!

I can't imagine how this happens. I need examples of the nicknames, and how he uses them to talk about himself.

I've never heard his friends refer to him as it. That would be even stranger. He refers to himself as it when he's in a cuddly / good mood. He likes to sleep a lot and so she used to call him - hope this is not too outing - sloth. so he will say 'I'm a little sloth' as he's lying around in bed drifting off or things like that. He doesn't do it all the time but daily regularly. She also had another nickname for him (again another animal) and he says that too. Frankly I think it's a bit bizarre. But god knows.

Does he talk about himself in the third person?

quite regularly, not daily regularly!

It is fucking bizarre. Not to mention an absolute turn off 🤮

weird a.f. A massive turnoff to tell you their pillow.
... and the cute ickle names he has kept for his own endearment why? Have you asked why? Why did you tell me that? How do you think that makes me feel, sloth aka lazy bastard.

Insecure?? trying to make you jealous ???

Yeah, that is odd- especially given his age. It's almost like he's reinforcing an identity for himself, is he a man who responds to direction from others? Rather than having a strong established sense of self. It's a bit infantile, something off about self reinforcing that nickname. OP, Is he generally being lazy and trying to defend or explain to you in a way that says it's not my choice, it's how I am, and others have said so?

Honestly I don’t know. I don’t think he’s trying to make me jealous but it’s strange. They don’t really talk any more although she does like a lot of his fb posts sometimes. But going back a few years she was constantly posting pictures and memes of sloths and this other animal.

Oh God. My fanny's healing over at the thought of a man referring to himself in third person as 'sloth'. What's the other animal?

I’d have to say something like, do you miss her?
Oh my ex used to call me hot lips? Or whatever, invent anything. He is immature imo.

It's extremely odd! It's as if he feels the need to reinforce this bond that they had or something. I wouldn't like it at all. What's the other animal ....?

It could be worse he could be saying things like “hey baby, Little sloth is sleepy he wants you to wake him up a little” 🤮🍆

No he just refers to himself as this in a way that’s quite sweet. But I obviously find it very strange and unsettling now I know.

Also this might be a massive drip feed but I didn’t want to include it above as I just wanted to know whether that was unreasonable in itself but earlier this year, the day after my birthday we went out to see some friends of his in the pub. We both had a lot to drink and when we came back after midnight I was lying down on his couch and he was sat in the chair opposite and he then quoted a song lyric with this girl’s name in it. I’m tempted to quote it but I probably shouldn’t. And then he looked into the distance and said “ah but I suppose that’s all in the past now.”

Ah fuck it, the song lyric was

This is what happens if you fuck around
So meddle if you want trouble
Trouble, then you should meddle
But don't ever meddle with Emily's heart

Anyway I was very upset and just went to bed. I brought it up with him a few weeks later and he couldn’t remember doing it but said if he had he had meant it in a nostalgic way that he loved me blah blah blah. What he says every time.

Surely only 2 year olds refer to themselves in the third person !

Sloth wants a bik bik